Shelving



March 31, 1970 HQc. KEELE ETAL 3,503,522

' SHELVING Filed Oct 26. 196'? v s Sheets-Sheet 1 March 31, 1970 H. c.KEELE ETAL 3,503,522

snmnvme Filed Oct. 26, 1967 :5 Sheets-Sheet z March 1970 H. c. KEELEETAL 3,503,522

SHELVING I 3 SheerQs-Sheet 5 Filed oc. 26. 19s? United States Patent US.Cl. 211-148 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Freestanding shelvingcomprises uprights having feet at their lower ends to support theassembly in a vertical plane. Adjacent uprights are connected and spacedapart by cross members provided with end plates formed with hook-shapedportions adapted to engage in slots in the uprights. Plate like shelfbrackets have hook-like portions for engaging other slots in theuprights and in position extend at right angles to the cross members.Strips secured by one edge to the shelf brackets form pockets to receiveside flanges of shelves to support such shelves between pairs ofbrackets. An arrangement of spaced flanges at the front edge of a shelfdefines a space to accommodate an extruded plastics section to which alabel may be affixed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to shelving.

An object of the invention is to provide shelving which can be readilyassembled and dismantled and adapted to suit various requirements. Theinvention lends itself to the provision of temporary storage means in avariety of arrangements and can be adapted, for instance, in librariesto arrangements of rows of shelving or to study bays each storing 'bookson a particular subject and leaving a space for desks or tables for useby readers.

In accordance with the invention there is provided freestanding shelvingwherein the improvement comprises a plurality of uprights, a foot at thelower end of each upright for supporting the assembly at least in onevertical plane, cross members for extending transversely of saidvertical plane and for spacing apart the uprights, shelf brackets forextending parallel to said vertical plane and shelves for detachableattachment to the shelf brackets, each cross member having attachmentmeans on the 0pposite ends thereof for detachable attachment toco-operable means at different heights on the uprights, each shelfbracket having attachment means on the inner end thereof for detachableattachment to co-operable means at different heights on the uprights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the attached drawings, whichillustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a front view partly in section, of shelving embodying theinvention and shows one upright together with the cross members, shelfbrackets and shelves detachably attached thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the shelving of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 illustrates the way in which the shelf brackets and shelves areattached to one another and to the upright.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In illustrating exemplary shelvingin the drawings only one of a number of identical interconnecteduprights has been shown, since this is suflicient to describe theputting into effect of the invention.

3,503,522 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 Referring to the drawings, each upright1 comprises a tubular body 2 of circular cross-section provided withfour sets of rectangular slots 3 extending lengthwise of such tubularbody. The four sets of slots 3 are spaced at intervals about the tubularbody 2. Two feet 4 extend transversely from the bottom of the upright 1in a plane passing through two opposite sets of slots 3. Adjustable solepieces 5 are provided at the outer ends of the feet 4.

Cross members 6 serve to interconnect adjacent uprights 1 and therebyspace the uprights apart. Each cross member 6 comprises a tube 7 ofrectangular section. At each end of the tube 7 a plate 8 is fitted inslots extending longitudinally in two opposite sides of the tube 7 andis welded to the tube. .Each plate 8 extends laterally beyond theopposite sides of the tube 7 and is provided with hook-shaped extensions9 which project beyond the end of the tube 7. The hook-shaped extensions9 are so shaped that they can be inserted in slots 3 in the upright 1which lie in a plane at right angles to the plane containing the feet 4and then lowered so that downwardlyopening notches 10 in the extensions9 engage over the bottom edge 11 of the slots '13 to provide a lockingaction and maintain the assembly rigid.

Each shelf bracket 15 is in the form of a rectangular plate 16 havinghook-like extensions 17 similar to those on the cross-member 6 on theinner end for co-operation with slots 3 in the upright 1 lying in theplane containing the feet 4. At least one elongated open-ended pocket 18is provided on each side of the plate 16 to open upwardly byspot-welding the lower edge of a suitably sectioned strip 19 to theplate 16.

Each shelf 20 is formed from a generally rectangular plate 21 having adownwardly extending flange 22 at each side to fit into a pocket 18 on ashelf bracket 15. The side flanges 22 extend across most of the width ofthe shelf 20. The side flanges 22 are each provided with a centralcut-out (not shown) dividing the flange into two parts having convexfree edges in order to minimize any tilting of the shelf 20 whensupported between two shelf brackets 15 by virtue of manufacturingtolerances.

The rear and front edges of the shelf 20 are reinforced and for thispurpose at the rear of the shelf a downwardly extending flange (notshown) is provided along the whole length of the shelf. The end flangesof a rightangled, M-sectioned strengthening member (not shown) arespot-welded respectively to the front side of the rear flange and theunder-surface of the plate 21. At the front of the shelf 20 a shallowdownwardly extending flange 25 extends along the whole length of theshelf 20 and a right-angled, U-sectioned strengthening member 26 has itsflanges 27 extending rearwardly with one flange spot-welded to the undersurface of the plate 21. The centre portion 28 of the frontstrengthening member 26 extending between the flanges 27 is spacedbehind the shallow flange 25 on the front of the plate 21 and the otherflange of the member 26 is spot-welded to a rearwardly-extending flange29 of an L-section strip 30 having a remaining shallow flange 31extending upwardly spaced in front of the web 28 of the member 26 andunder the front flange 25 of the plate 21 but spaced therefrom. Thespace between the portion 28 of the member 26 and the flanges 25 and 31accommodates an extruded plastics section 32 to which can be afl'ixed alabel carrying indicia visible between the flanges 25 and 31.

A basic shelving unit is made up of two uprights 1 with two crossmembers 6 interconnecting them at different heights and extendingtransversely of the feet 4 on the uprights, shelf brackets 15 andshelves 20 being added as required. Such a unit will stand safelybecause the adjustable sole pieces 5 on the feet will occupy the fourcorners of a rectangle. The depths of the shelves 20 can vary to suitrequirements and with extra deep shelves extra long feet 4 are providedon the uprights. The cross members 6 can also be made in a number ofstandard lengths as required.

Where a shelving bay is to be provided two such basic shelving units maybe disposed opposite and parallel with each other and extra crossmembers may interconnect two opposite uprights via some of the slotsotherwise provided for the shelf brackets.

We claim:

1. Freestanding shelving wherein the improvement comprises a pluralityof uprights, a foot at the lower end of each upright supporting theassembly at least in one vertical plane, cross members spacing apart theuprights, shelf brackets extending parallel to said vertical plane andshelves, the shelf bracket being detachably attached to the shelves,each upright comprising longitudinally extending slots receivinghook-like extensions on the shelf brackets, each shelf bracket having atleast one elongated, upwardly-opening pocket on each side thereof, eachpocket receiving a complementary flange on a shelf, each cross memberhaving attachment means on the opposite ends thereof detachably attachedto cooperable means at dilferent heights on the uprights, each shelfbracket having attachment means on the inner end thereof detachablyattached to co-operable means at different heights on the uprights.

2. Shelving according to claim 1, in which each upright compriseslongitudinally extending slots receiving hook-shaped portions formed atthe opposite ends of cross members.

3. Shelving according to claim 2, in which each cross member comprises atube of rectangular cross-section having attached to each end a plateformed with the said hook-shaped portions.

4. Shelving according to claim 1, in which each shelf bracket comprisesa plate and each pocket is formed by a strip attached to the plate alonga lower edge of such strip, the strip having an upper portion spacedfrom the 1 plate.

5. Shelving according to claim 4, in which spaced flanges disposed atthe front edge of a shelf define a spaceadapted to accommodate anextruded plastics section to which a label may be affixed.

References Cited

